Celtic will host FC Utrecht at Celtic Park on Thursday in their final match of the Europa League group stage.
Even a win won’t allow Celtic to directly advance to the last 16, but they aim to secure all three points and a place in the playoffs.
Celtic vs FC Utrecht – Match preview and team news
- Date: Thursday, January 29.
- Kick-off: 8pm BST.
- Venue: Celtic Park, Glasgow.
Celtic team news
Celtic is dealing with multiple injuries ahead of the match. Alistair Johnston, Callum Osmand, Cameron Carter-Vickers, Jota, and Kelechi Iheanacho are all out, while Reo Hatate is suspended after his red card against Bologna. Fortunately, Marcelo Saracchi returned to training this Wednesday.
Kieran Tierney was a doubt after being substituted in the recent draw against Hearts, but he was seen training on Wednesday, indicating he might play.
New signing Tomas Cvancara from Borussia Monchengladbach is not eligible for this match.
FC Utrecht team news
FC Utrecht will be without key player Victor Jensen, who is injured and won’t return until early March. David Min and Emirhan Demircan are also doubts, and Mike Eerdhuijzen may miss out after an injury during the recent match, possibly leading to Nick Viergever partnering Matisse Didden in defense.
Manager Ron Jans, facing pressure after five straight defeats, has said he will not resign, stating he enjoys his time at the club despite the challenges. He is set to retire at the end of the season.
Form
Celtic
With Martin O’Neill back, Celtic has shown improvement, winning three of their last five matches and drawing the other two. They drew 2-2 with Hearts last weekend.
Currently, Celtic is in 24th place in the Europa League, with eight points from seven matches. They need a win to have a chance of advancing.
FC Utrecht
FC Utrecht has struggled, earning just one point from their seven matches—a single draw—while losing six times. They are near the bottom of the table and cannot progress to the knockout stage. Their difficulties continue with five consecutive losses in all competitions.
Predicted lineups
Celtic: Schmeichel; Donovan, Trusty, Murray, Scales; Engels, McGregor, Nygren; Hyun-Jun, Maeda, Tounekti
FC Utrecht: Barkas; Horemans, Didden, Viergever, El Karouani; Engwanda, Bozdogan; Cathline, De Wit, Blake; Rodriguez
How to watch Celtic vs FC Utrecht?
Fans in the UK can watch the match live on TNT Sports 4.
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